Stargate Atlantis: Nature's Bounty
by the morrighan
Summary: My version of a season six.  This is the fifth story.  Warning: Character Death.
1. Chapter 1

Stargate Atlantis: Nature's Bounty

"Colonel Sheppard, I've got those reports." Evan Lorne stood at the table in the cafeteria. He set down a data pad next to the tray where the remnants of John Sheppard's lunch could be seen. There were crumbs from a sandwich, a stray strand of turkey and a leftover piece of lettuce. A small piece of a French fry was all that remained from the group, and the bottle of water was nearly empty. Even the pudding cup had been decimated and only a trace of chocolate remained on one side of the vacant holder. At John's grunt he continued. "I made a few notations about the recent activity in the—"

"Evan! Evan! Evan, you are not going to believe this!" Moira O'Meara called from across the room. Speedily she rushed to him, white coat flapping to either side of her like wings, her brown hair messily streaming out of her ponytail. "Look! It's an entelodont! An entelodont!" she practically squealed, flipping open a data pad to show him a screen capture. An animal was frozen on the screen, a large pig-like mammal with a huge head and knobby protrusions along its face. "Do you know what this means? I have to go there! Can you clear it with Major Teldy so I can be on her team when they return to his planet? Please, Evan, this is an unprecedented opportunity!" She was almost jumping up and down.

Evan blinked at the rush of words, of enthusiasm. He smiled. "Okay."

"Thank you, Evan! I…oh, sorry!" She took a step backwards, only now just noticing that he had been talking to John. "I didn't mean to, to, to interrupt!" She closed the data pad, glancing at Evan before looking at John, shrugging and quickly leaving the two men.

John was staring at her, transfixed by her exuberance, her joy, her sheer vitality and her messy appearance. He lowered the spoon he had been holding, forgetting about that last bite of chocolate pudding. "What—"

"Sorry about that, sir. Doctor O'Meara can get rather, um, overly enthusiastic about her paleontology studies," Evan explained, trying not to laugh at the colonel's expression.

"No, I mean, yeah, I noticed that, but what was that thing on the vid?"

"Oh. An entelodont." At the military commander's blank look Evan smiled. "It's an extinct species of a prehistoric pig, I think, dating from the late Eocene. I'm sure Moira could tell you all about it in great detail, sir, for several hours."

"That's what I'm asking you, major," John jested, and the two men laughed.

"So you will allow her to join Teldy's team for this mission? I am aware that you have a no civilian ban at the moment but this really is O'Meara's field and if this is a living example of a supposedly extinct prehistoric species then the implications for us and the—"

"Yes, she can tag along in this instance," John decided on a whim, not wanting to quell her enthusiasm, although he did rather anticipate getting into an argument with her. He could just imagine her Irish temper. "I'd be afraid to tell her no," John jested.

"You and me both, sir," Evan agreed with a grin.

"Does she always become so…excited over science?" John asked, settling on the word. He found himself wondering what else could get her excited. He recalled the way she had been gyrating on the table in the bio lab, singing painfully out of tune.

"Don't they all, sir?" Evan quipped.

"John! John! John, you're not going to believe this!" Rodney McKay called across the room. He hastened towards the two men, waving his data pad in front of him like a machete to clear his way as people jumped and darted out of the beeline he was making towards the two men. He even ignored getting some food in his haste and excitement.

John smiled. "Case in point," he sighed. "Rodney, let me guess. You have finally fixed the DVD machine?"

"What? No! Not yet, anyway," the physicist answered as he reached the two men. "The inner circuitry is somehow scrambled and the don't get me started on that look at this!" He thrust the data pad under John's nose. "I've analyzed the debris left on Dagan and you are not going to believe this!"

"Believe what?" John asked, staring at the equations and charts on the screen. It was a meaningless jumble to him.

"There's a residue of radiation. That means—"

"It wasn't just a malfunction. Weapons," John finished for him. He shoved the data pad aside.

Rodney closed it. "Oh. You do know," he said, deflated, but he smiled. "I bet you didn't know that I found the same signature, the exact same isotope recorded from the shock wave blast that hit us when we first arrived. And you won't believe what that was!" He brought up another screen, shoved the nearly empty lunch tray across the table and set the data pad in front of John. "See those star charts? The one on the left is from before we left. The one on the right was taken a day ago. See what's missing?"

John scowled, but eyed the two star charts. Evan stepped round to look over John's shoulder at the display. Several planets were blue dots, each with a tiny coded designation of numbers and letters. John looked from one to the other and back again, his scowl growing as was his impatience until he saw it. "Ah. A planet's missing?"

"Bingo!" Rodney said.

Evan squinted. "M17TQ9. Where is it? Are you saying that planet is gone?"

"Gone as in blown away by something unimaginable. At first I suspected some interstellar catastrophe, like a comet impact or even a moon impact because a solar explosion or a black hole would have simply swallowed it whole but the debris and residual shock wave impact tells me that it was blown out of the sky, so to speak."

"Just like Alderaan…completely blown away," John muttered, shaking his head.

"What? Any way the point is that the-"

"Same kind of weapon was used in both instances," John finished for him, curtailing his friend's triumph once again.

But Rodney was not deterred. He held up his forefinger. "And this particular isotope and residual radiation is of a kind that I have never seen before in this galaxy or in our own galaxy! And as far as I can tell it is not naturally occurring either as the atomic structure of each molecule is quite specifically manufactured and not a—"

"The Wraith don't have that kind of technology, nor do the Ancients, is what you are saying," John interrupted.

"Then who does?" Evan asked.

Neither man had an answer.

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Richard Woolsey tapped the data pad on his desk. He adjusted a pile of folders near it. He checked his computer screen. He set a pen next to another. Finally he repressed a sigh and adjusted his glasses, eying the two men who sat across from his desk in his office. "So you're telling me that someone or something out there has a weapon capable of not only destroying a Wraith Hive ship but an entire planet?"

"Yes," John and Rodney said at the same time. They glanced at each other. Rodney continued. "By the designation it was a small planet, perhaps even a moon or some other planetary body and we never had a mission there so we have no way of knowing whether or not it was populated but it did have a Stargate so odds are that it was inhabited and being on the edge of this particular solar system the impact event or destruction would have occurred approximately during the second month of our absence and—"

"Rodney," John directed.

"Right, so yes," he returned to the question. "A weapon that powerful could only be wielded by a rival Wraith Hive or by the Genii using an Ancient weapon system but we know that—"

"Neither of those options is applicable given the unique isotope signature, plus it just doesn't track."

"Explain that last part, colonel," Richard interjected.

John settled back in the comfortable chair, crossing one long leg over the other. "Even if the Wraith have united under this queen they wouldn't go around destroying planets, especially populated ones. Not even as a lesson to other worlds. They wouldn't completely obliterate their food sources, and they don't have the power to destroy a whole planet like that."

"Like the Replicators tried to do," Richard reminded.

"Exactly."

"And they were, in turn, obliterated by me, by us, so it can't be them," Rodney noted. He wasn't sure if he should be proud of that achievement or mortified. He eyed his hands as he pondered.

"And the Genii?" Richard asked.

"They don't—" John attempted.

"-have the technology or comprehension for such a weapon, even an Ancient one," Rodney explained, taking over from John. "Even if they somehow discovered an Ancient outpost and had a guy with the ATA they don't have the physics let alone the schematics to get the thing up and running in the first place like I did."

"And that ended well," John noted with a smirk, causing Rodney to glare at him.

"If not the Wraith or the Genii, then who?" Richard asked.

"That's the six million dollar question," John agreed. "My teams have been putting out feelers to our contacts to try to get some reliable information, as has Teyla. Radek's scanning for that tracking device I put into Todd before he escaped." He glanced at Rodney.

"Where?" Rodney asked, seemingly unaffected by the mention of the Wraith who had killed Jennifer Keller, his almost fiancée. He laced his fingers together on his lap.

"You don't wanna know," John grimaced.

"Oh." Rodney made a face as he imagined the worst possibility.

"Once we locate him we will have a line on the Wraith and this queen, at least an idea of their current location." John stood. "I need to ask Carson about this change to their enzyme and whether or not that will change things, and no one knows more about the Wraith than him."

"I'll keep analyzing the debris and fallout and the shock wave and maybe I can pinpoint the point of origin outside of this galaxy. Maybe we can find this weapon."

"Let's hope we do before someone else does," Richard agreed.


	2. Chapter 2

Stargate Atlantis: Nature's Bounty2

Carson Beckett was shaking his head, ignoring the stubborn stance of the military commander as he stood, blocking the doctor's way. "Sorry, colonel, but I've got no bloody idea."

"Oh come on, Carson!" John scolded, arms folded across his chest. His green gaze narrowed. "You know everything about the Wraith!"

"That's very flattering. I don't know everything about them. I'm not the resident expert on Wraith and Iratus bug biology and behavior."

"I thought we agreed not to mention those things," John chided, touching his throat in remembered pain from the grasp of one of those bugs.

Carson smiled. "Sorry, colonel." He sidestepped past the other man to carry a tray of vials to a table. Hearing the military commander following Carson sighed. Sometimes the man was like a dog with a bone, not giving up until he got what he wanted.

"Then who is?"

"Who is…oh. Doctor O'Meara. She has posited several reasons for the change in Wraith behavior and some of them do involve the altered enzyme and the new chemical bonding that has altered their physiognomy not to mention their abilities and the—"

"Excuse me?"

Carson turned to see a quizzical expression on John's face. "The enzyme. It must have spread through the Wraith population fairly quickly once they saw the advantages of it. Somehow it has increased their strength and stamina and creating a new molecular bonding that may have even altered their evolution, if you will, and Moira thinks it is a more basic reacting response and why they were able to unite under a single queen, for example."

John blinked. "Ah. And how was it altered?"

"By you. Well, not specifically you," the doctor amended. "By Todd. When he was fed upon by a queen Iratus bug it not only restored his life and his feeding abilities but also replaced the former Wraith enzyme with a more potent and more powerful strain. We've been running some chemical comparisons and it is quite fascinating, John," Carson warmed to the subject to John's regret, "and this particular version is similar to what saved you when you were infected by the retrovirus and Elia's blood. Do you see what this means?"

John hesitated, wishing for a translator. "Um…Todd's more Wraithy?"

Carson nodded. "Aye, in a way. Exactly. We suspect that it may have rendered the Wraith nearly immune to the Hoffan serum."

"Wonderful," John sighed. "And that would explain their uncharacteristic behavior?"

"Partially. You really should talk to Moira about this, John. She has been studying the Wraith as a species and applying biological parameters to their society, as it were, from a sociological stance as well as a—"

"When she's not chasing after entelodonts, you mean."

"What?"

"Nothing. Nobody cares about that, doc, although I do seem to remember a report…" He frowned, thinking back on older material he had read. "Something about bees? I think I lost it in a box somewhere."

"Or the dog ate it?" Carson quipped. "John, you really should read the things that people give you."

"Whatever. Okay, I'll catch up with her. Thanks, doc."

"John!" Carson called after him, and John halted his escape, turning to face the doctor. "I didn't mean that. It certainly wasn't your fault, creating this super Wraith species."

"I'm the one who let him go, doc."

"Yes, but we all thought he would die."

"Well, he didn't, did he? And then I let him escape. And now he's out there with all of his super Wraith buddies." Before the doctor could argue John turned and left the infirmary.

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Todd was silent. It had been a long trip, through several Stargates, across several planets, feeding when he could, and now he had been found by those of his own kind. He had been welcomed as a long lost brother, although most of his original crew were dead, killed by Sheppard's orders. Todd had been greeted as a savior, as the altered enzyme was creating a new breed of Wraith, a better breed of Wraith that would be able to dominate the galaxy once all threats were eliminated.

Todd knew Atlantis was one of those threats.

He was curious to learn about the other one.

He had heard only whispers. He had heard dark mutterings about massive ships and weapons that the Wraith alone could not hope to match. The facts were few, the rumors rampant about these invaders from another galaxy. Soon Todd would learn all about them, as he was being ushered into the Throne room, into the heart of the Wraith Empire.

He was being ushered to the queen herself.

Todd could see the nervousness of his escorts and it made him wonder. Wisely he kept silent. Wisely he genuflected when they did, bowing towards the back of a large throne which sat in front of an impressive viewport that glistened with the stars. He moved to his knees as they did. He lowered his gaze to the floor like they did, but all the while he was annoyed at this excessive obeisance and wondered at the reason for it.

What could have altered Wraith society so quickly and so ruthlessly?

The throne chair turned and the queen smiled at him. "Welcome back, old friend. As you can see we have much, much to discuss. And we have much to plan."

Todd started. The voice was familiar. The human tones were familiar, but it was most definitely a Wraith addressing him. One that apparently knew him and was greeting him as a friend. It was a very human term. Slowly he raised his head and stared. He moved to stand, leaving his escorts on their knees on either side of him. He stared as recognition flooded, as memories filled his mind. And he laughed.

He laughed.

He laughed.

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John was halfway down the corridor when the thought struck him. Grimacing he made his way back to the infirmary, rubbing his neck as if he could feel the marks left by the Iratus bug that had attached itself to him many years ago. He smiled at the nurses and made his way to Carson. The doctor was engrossed in a data pad, head bent, blue eyes locked onto the screen.

The sound of a cough drew Carson's attention and he lifted his gaze. "John? Was there something else?"

"Yes, actually. All that stuff you said about the enzyme, and the purer strain from the, from the Iratus bug," he paused, making a face. "Would any of that have an effect on—"

"Colonel Sheppard to the 'Gate room! Colonel Sheppard to the 'Gate room!"

"Gotta run, doc!" John sprinted to the control room, forgetting his question, hearing the urgency in Chuck Campbell's voice. He met Evan on the way and the two men rushed towards the consoles. The Stargate was a shimmering wormhole but no one had emerged from it. The Shield was raised, a silvery film that prevented any incursions. "Status!" John barked.

"Incoming wormhole, sir, from off-world activation. Major Teldy's IDC," Chuck informed briskly, fingers pausing on the keyboard for the military commander's decision.

"Lower the Shield," John ordered, glancing up to see Richard descending the stairs. John and Evan moved to the 'Gate room, joined by a few marines. John took a proffered P90 and stood, waiting, staring at the shimmering pool of light. Abruptly John swore, ducked as laser fire pinged out of the wormhole and blasted the walls. A deep gouge was cut into the floor, and John winced, as if for a moment he felt the pain of the injury.

Suddenly Ann Teldy was propelled forcefully out of the wormhole and fell to her knees, as if shoved by a giant hand.

"Major!" John rushed to her.

"Medical to the 'Gate room STAT!" Evan ordered, tapping his earpiece. He looked past Ann but no one else emerged from the wormhole.

"What's happening?" Richard asked, standing at the console and staring down at the 'Gate room. He began to make his way there, concerned at the return of the lone woman marine and her battered appearance.

"It's just me, sir!" she gasped. She was dirty, grimy. Blood was spilling from the corner of her mouth and there was a bruise on her temple. Her BDUs were torn and she was devoid of all weapons.

"Raise the Shield!" John ordered. He helped the blond woman to her feet and guided her away from the Stargate although no more enemy fire erupted from it. "What happened, major? Where is your team?" he asked.

Ann shook her head. Her normally efficient bun was spilling blond strands across her face, along her shoulders. "Captured, sir. Ambush. We were several klicks out when we ran into a, a firefight." She appeared disorientated for a moment, and her grip on John's arm tightened as if needing to feel his solidity.

"The Wraith?" Evan asked in dread. He looked past them again, but the Shield was a silver blur and effectively blocking any ingress to the 'Gate room.

"No." She glanced at Evan then looked at John as he waited. "We were outnumbered and taken hostage and I was sent back to get you."

"Me? Who was it? The Genii?"

"Perhaps the Coalition?" Evan suggested worriedly.

"I don't know, sir, but he knew you. He knew all about you, about Atlantis, everything. And he gave me this." She opened her fist to reveal a set of dog tags. The silver chain slipped between her fingers, glinting in the lights. The silver tag was grimy but the words were discernible.

John took them from her, reading the name inscribed on one side, although he already had a suspicion seeing the dog tags and hearing her words.

His suspicion was confirmed. His gaze raked over the name on the tags.

Aiden Ford.


	3. Chapter 3

Stargate Atlantis: Nature's Bounty3

"It all fits. See?" Rodney pointed at a map on the projection screen in the control room. He highlighted the planets as he spoke. "M17TQ9 is gone. I don't mean missing. I mean gone as in obliterated. And here…the next one…we don't even have a name for this one but it was there before we left…a small moon, I believe but it did have an active Stargate. I've compared the charts to before we left and this moon is no longer extant. These events are taking place on the edge of the galaxy but they are still in the Stargate system. This one…P1R249, I can't even get a lock on it but it's in the path of, of …whatever."

"You tried dialing it?" Richard asked.

"Yes, just to be sure I tried several times. This one is unresponsive."

"If they keep on this approximate trajectory they will pass close to Atlantis, in time," Radek Zelenka warned. The Czech appeared more worried than usual.

"But who are they?" Richard asked, although he knew the answer was at yet elusive. "And you are certain these are not natural events?"

"Positive," Rodney stated, glancing at John, but so far the military commander had been silent. "It is definitely a weapon of some kind as I have proven by finding the exact same isotopic signature in each event."

"More powerful than anything we have yet encountered," Radek added.

"What's the next projected target?" Evan asked, staring at the star chart.

"If they keep moving along this route and follow a routine hyperspace route…this one." Rodney tapped the screen. "M1R298."

"Crap. That's where Teldy's team was. Damn it! Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" John snapped, finally speaking.

"I didn't know until now!" Rodney flared back. "Have they discovered something?"

"Someone," John corrected dourly. "Ford."

"What? Ford? Are you serious?" Rodney exclaimed, staring in shock. "Do you think he has something to do with any of this? Is that even possible? Do you think he somehow discovered this lost technology and has been putting it to use? But that doesn't make any sense. Do you think he has had contact with whomever or whatever does have this kind of technology?"

John ignored him, turning to Richard. "I am taking my team and Lorne's to affect a rescue. Teldy's in the infirmary recovering. Rodney, get me a full projection of their path and the planets in it. We're about to find out who these guys are and exactly what we are up against. Radek, keep trying to locate Todd because I am sure he is with the Wraith by now. The last thing we need is to be caught in a pincer between those two. Chuck, be ready to dial it up once we are in the Jumper Bay. Lorne, heavy armaments and two fully loaded Jumpers, in ten, orders to follow once we're on our way."

"Yes, sir," Evan agreed, quickly moving to gather the men.

"Are you sure about this, John?"

"We don't leave anyone behind," John said tersely to Richard's question.

"I know that. I meant are you sure about this? Teldy couldn't tell you much as she is suffering from a concussion. You really don't know what you are walking into out there, and if there's a new player on the board-"

"Now's as good a time to meet them," John interrupted. "Ford's out there. I think you understand the ramifications of that, right?"

"Yes, of course. I understand he is a rogue element, a very dangerous rogue element and a constant threat to the safety of Atlantis as long as he is out there. I know that we cannot be certain what side he is on, but this could be a trap for you, John."

"I am aware of that," John agreed with a shrug.

"And what if those new players are there? And what of the Wraith? There are too many unknown variables and Major Teldy may be able to supply more information in a few—"

"Teldy told me all I needed to know. We can't wait a few days. Our people are still out there and we will bring them home."

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Ann opened her eyes, blinked to see a blurry man standing over her. She blinked again, trying to see past the dull pounding in her head. Her vision cleared to reveal John staring down at her, his expression unreadable, aloof but handsome as ever. She struggled to a seated position. "Sir? Colonel Sheppard, we have to go back!"

"Easy, major," he gently pushed her back into the bed, strong hands on her shoulders. She felt frail under his touch, but he knew she was strong, was trained and conditioned. "We are going back. What do I need to know?"

Ann relaxed a little, reassured by her commanding officer's serious demeanor. She rested her head on the pillow, turning her face to him and easing the pressure of the goose egg on her temple. "There were Wraith there, sir, I remember that now but they didn't go after us. And, and a ragtag group of men with the one called Ford. Six or eight of them. They were unbelievably strong and fast and very well-armed. They were attacking the Wraith. They, they killed one of us but then Ford went ballistic and said that no one from Atlantis was to be harmed." She frowned, trying to remember, but the images were fuzzy, indistinct in her brain. "That didn't stop them from roughing us up a little…a lot…" She touched her temple. Disjointed images of screams and cries and blood filled her mind.

"Who was killed?" John asked. His voice was very quiet. He had gone very still. Carson had joined them and he was waiting for the answer as well, his breath trapped in his throat as dread filled him.

"I…I can't quite remember…everything is blurred and out of sequence. It was so fast and then I got hit and we…" Tears filled her eyes but she forced them aside. The time to mourn was later.

"Who was with you, major?" John asked, trying another tactic.

"Beckner, Porter, Gardener and O'Meara…it's all a blur, sir…" She blinked back tears of frustration and worry. Carson moved to quietly increase the morphine dosage as the young woman was in physical pain as well. His hand shook slightly as he thought of Alison, but he quelled the worry.

"Wait, Porter? The doctor?" At her nod John scowled. "Didn't I give you a direct order to not include civilian personnel unless I decided it was requisite for the mission?"

"John, now is hardly the time to berate her for-" Carson broke off as John raised his hand, silencing the protest.

Ann met his gaze, upset but defiant. "Yes, sir, but as you allowed O'Meara to tag along because of her particular expertise I decided that I needed Porter because of hers."

"You felt the need to include a civilian even though it was against my express orders?" John asked, voice low, gaze intimidating but Ann was not so easily cowed. She struggled to a seated position again. The white scrubs made her appear even paler.

"Yes, sir. Our first recon revealed very dangerous terrain and as you added a civilian to our ranks I felt the addition of a highly qualified doctor was necessary. There was a ruined village and we believed there could have been survivors there. We saw signs of recent habitation."

"We will discuss your blatant disregard of my orders later. Is there anything else you can tell me? Anything else I need to know?"

Ann considered, blond brows furrowing. "No, sir…I can't recall anything else. The animals!" she suddenly exclaimed, blue eyes widening. She ignored the pain in her head. "There were large animals, sir, and very dangerous! Things I have never seen before and hope I never do again! They were like monsters out of some book or horror movie but O'Meara was quite excited." She frowned, trying to remember. She grabbed his arm. "John! Get them back! Please get them back safely! I should go with you!"

"You are in no condition to go with me, Ann. You rest now. I will bring them home."

"John! You must save them! You must save them!" she insisted, tears shining in her blue eyes as her emotions rose to the surface.

John knew the pain in her gaze all too well. The burden of responsibility for the team, the guilt over failing them was in her eyes. It was always in the dark recesses of his mind, and the possibility of finally retrieving Ford, of finally saving him was a dim light in a very dark tunnel. He touched her hand on his arm, patted it. "I will, Ann. I will. You rest now. I will save them." He freed his arm, exchanged a grim look with Carson before leaving.

For one of the team it was too late to be saved.

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John gripped the controls of the Jumper, but forced himself to relax. He licked his lips, buried his emotions to focus on the task at hand. "Dial it up, sergeant. Lorne, copy? We go in cloaked and park near the ruined village. We find our people and get them to safety. This is a search and rescue op. Shoot to kill."

"John?" Teyla Emmagan asked. She exchanged a glance with Rodney, who appeared equally surprised, then with Ronon Dex who did not. The Satedan was nodding in agreement. Even the normally placid Carson was nodding in agreement, startling the Athosian woman. "John?" she repeated, unsettled.

John ignored her. "Shoot to kill, except for Ford. Capture him, alive or wounded. If we can get any intel on these Wraith or on these new guys, do it, but take no unnecessary risks. Our priority is to get our people home. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Evan's answer came over the radio as the two Jumpers lifted off the floor. Seamlessly the Ancient vehicles lowered towards the opening that would take them to the Stargate and across the galaxy.

"Does that include Ford?" Rodney asked.

John glanced at him. "Yeah."

"What if he doesn't want to come back with us?" Carson asked. "I fear he may be adversely affected by the altered enzyme," he warned.

There was a silence in the Jumper. The vehicle lowered and hovered in front of the shimmering Stargate. With a simple thought John eased the machine towards the wormhole.

"John?" Rodney prompted.

"We'll make him come back with us, one way or another," John noted.

His grip on the controls tightened.


	4. Chapter 4

Stargate Atlantis: Nature's Bounty4

It was a dark, wet planet. A mist was hovering on the air, not quite rain but enough to seep into clothing and shine on skin. Mud proliferated. A dark sky brooded above dark trees and the darker ruins of the village. It was a filthy, wretched place, cold and unwelcoming.

"You really think he'll come?" asked a stout man. His gaze roved over the three women bound at the wrists as they were kneeling on the ground. Mud slicked their Atlantis uniforms, stained their skin and mixed with their blood, colored their bruises. Where their clothing was torn he could catch glimpses of pale flesh, and he smiled.

"Yes. He'll come." Aiden Ford smiled. He stalked around the three women like a cat deciding which mouse to choose, although these women had been far from docile. It had taken several hits and kicks to subdue them. One had been killed, an unfortunate mistake. "You!" He approached and lifted one of the women's faces to his. "You knew what that giant pig was."

Moira met his gaze, fascinated despite the desperate situation as she noted his one solid black eye. "Enteledont," she corrected around a cut lip and bruised cheek.

"Let's go!" Aiden grabbed her arm, hauling her to her feet. He withdrew a knife and sliced through the bonds on her wrists. He gestured towards her with the knife, touching her cheek. "Try anything, anything at all and I will cut you."

"I'll need my kit," Moira said, gesturing to where her backpack was.

One of the men lifted it, inspected it. Finding no weapons he tossed it to her. Moira caught it and slung it over her shoulder.

"Stop! Where are you taking her?" Sybil Beckner demanded, struggling against her bonds. She eyed her P90 but it was in the hands of one of their male captors.

"You can identify things, right?" Aiden asked.

"Yes. I am a biologist," Moira concurred, ignoring Sybil as she shook her head. "I can use the scanner in here to record it and help with analysis," she explained, all the while pushing a fallen handgun with her foot towards the other two women as she spoke. "It will help with species identification."

"Even with an alien?"

"You mean a Wraith?"

"No! I know what a Wraith is!" he flared in fury. "We feast on the Wraith! I mean an alien! A real alien like nothing I have ever seen! It didn't come through the 'Gate but from the sky! Let's go!"

"You mean in a spaceship?" Moira asked. She glanced up at the dark sky.

"Wait!" Alison Porter demanded, struggling to her knees. "We should all go. Safety in numbers," she explained. "The Wraith are out there! And if there is something else we need to work together to—" A slap across the face cut off her words.

"No!" Sybil protested but was forced to her knees by one of the men. Alison rubbed her raw cheek as she knelt in the mud. She caught sight of the handgun and looked up to see Moira's slight nod.

"I'll go, I'll go," Moira assured, pushing the gun just a little closer to the women and hoping that the filth and grime would conceal it from the men.

"Guard them," Aiden ordered. "Play if you must but remember that they are the bait. Take the Atlantis people hostage, wound them if you must but leave Sheppard to me. Let's go!" He grabbed Moira's arm and hauled her into the forest.

XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX

John raised his fist. Everyone froze. Producing a pair of binoculars he scanned the broken buildings ahead of them. He could make out figures, but they were indistinguishable in the gloom. They were shadowy blurs and wavering in the mist. He lowered the binoculars, slid them into his TAC vest.

Faint voices reached his ears, carried on the cold, damp breeze. Male. Female. The words could not be discerned. A cry of pain made Carson start forward but Rodney caught his arm, detaining him.

John gestured. Evan and his team of marines melted into the shadows, fanning out to either side of John's team. John nodded, gestured again, his hand slicing across the cold, wet air. P90 lights were doused and darkened.

John led his team stealthily towards the ruins.

XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX

Sybil waited until the men were all watching Aiden. She knew without his restraining commands anything could happen. With a nod at Alison both women moved to their feet and lashed out with vicious kicks. Two men went down, groaning in pain and surprise. A fist pummeled Sybil but Alison dove, grabbed for the dropped gun and fired.

The shot went wide and Alison fell backwards into the mud. It bought Sybil time. She jumped to her feet, fists flying as she spun, hit, kicked, spun, hit, kicked. She snatched a knife and whirled, fully intending to eviscerate but froze as a man had a gun to Alison's throat. He was grinning.

"Nice try, girlie, but I win this round. Drop it!"

Sybil dropped the knife to the ground as two men headed for her, also grinning.

XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX

"Now."

At John's quiet order gunfire erupted. The two women fell to the ground, cowering as a barrage of bullets flew towards their captives. The men dove for cover, returning fire. Bullets whined across the cold, wet air, slamming into trees, into rubble, into bodies. It was a short battle as the two Atlantis teams converged and effectively cornered their prey, cutting them down in the crossfire.

"Alison!"

Carson ran ahead to the dark-haired woman even before the shooting had ended. He hugged her, helping her to her feet and untying her bonds. He gasped at her bruised face, blue eyes filling with concern. Evan moved to Sybil and untied her wrists as the marines quickly circled the perimeter and stood guard. Rodney looked round, scanner in the air as Ronon hefted his big gun and stepped over the dead bodies.

"I count six," the Satedan stated.

"Is that all, Beckner? Beckner, is that all?" John asked, looking round as Teyla moved to gather the fallen weapons.

"No, sir," she said, jaw swelling. "There were three more."

"Where's Ford?"

"Gone, sir. He took, he took O'Meara to see some alien, through the trees." She pointed, grimaced as pain laced her arm. "Gardener's dead, sir." Sybil reported. Sorrow and anger crossed her bruised face.

"Crap. Lorne, Winters, get them to the Jumpers and collect Gardener on the way." His gaze raked the trees as a sense of relief then anger swept through him. His grip on his P90 tightened.

"Colonel, no! There are Wraith here! We need to leave!" Alison warned, clinging to Carson as her head began to swim.

"I have not sensed any," Teyla countered, gaze narrowing in concentration.

"They scattered under Ford's team, sir. These men…they were incredibly fast and strong, but they seemed…odd, somehow…they would lose focus sometimes," Sybil informed. "We stumbled into a firefight between them and the Wraith and the Wraith were losing, sir, the Wraith were losing and then when those men saw we were from Atlantis they charged us and took out Major Teldy, then sent her to you. Those men knew about Atlantis, sir. They knew about us, about you. You, sir."

"The one called Ford knew all about the city and you, Colonel Sheppard. You," Alison endorsed.

"Those men were uncontrollable at times," Sybil added. Her words were awkward as she tried to talk and not spit blood. She touched her swelling jaw as evidence.

"The altered enzyme," John noted. "Lorne, my orders stand. Do not dial the 'Gate. Do not return to Atlantis yet."

"Sir?" Evan asked in surprise.

"I don't want any Wraith hitchhikers. Ronon, take Reynolds and Johnson and do a sweep of the area. Round up any stragglers and eliminate them, then meet up at the Jumpers." He met each man's gaze, and saw they understood exactly what he meant. "Teyla, go with Lorne. You too, Carson," he added, although he knew the doctor would not be parted from the injured.

Teyla frowned. "Colonel, I am perfectly capable of-"

"Sensing the Wraith and thus you can give us ample warning," John finished for her. "Rodney?"

"What? I can't sense the Wraith. Oh!" He eyed his scanner. "Energy traces all over the board, but I can't make heads or tails of it." He frowned. "There's something big, though…it's cloaked but the energy displacement is large." He gulped, looking up but only darkness met his gaze.

Darkness and the absence of stars.

"Go with Teyla."

"And you? Oh come on! John! You are going after Ford alone? Seriously?"

"Yes. I can move quicker alone. Rodney, go with them. Radio me if you detect anything unusual. Lorne, if you don't hear from me in twenty minutes dial Atlantis and get our people to safety if the way is clear. That is a direct order. Your priority is to get our people to safety."

"I'm coming with you, John! Ford's a Looney tune!"

"I know to deal with him," John assured.

"Really? That didn't work out too well the last time! John!" Rodney shouted, but it was in vain.

John was gone, sprinting into the woods and melting into the darkness and dampness.

"Should we follow?" Ronon asked, scowling.

"No. You heard his orders." Evan raised his hand before Teyla could protest. "After we get Beckner and Porter secure we will follow," Evan assured. "The colonel's right. We need to get our people to safety. All of them."

Ronon smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

Stargate Atlantis: Nature's Bounty5

The mist was thickening into rain. It washed the trees, the ground and the hills in a murky darkness that dissolved the sky into the land. The rain was cold, clammy, sticking to clothes and to skin like a sweaty palm. It weighed down clothing and hair. It made the mud almost impassable in some areas, more like a quagmire than dry land.

"There." Aiden shoved Moira to her knees.

It took a moment to see clearly through the grime. It took a moment to see the dead body in front of her. Moira drew back in alarm, hands on her thighs as she sat with her legs bent under her. She kept staring as she opened her backpack.

"What is it?" Aiden asked, keeping his gun on the woman although she hardly seemed a threat.

"I don't know," Moira muttered. "Let me scan it and take tissue samples." She produced a square machine that looked very much like an old Earth cassette tape player. It hummed to life at her touch and she began to manipulate its screen. Instantly it began to film the body in front of her as she swept the camera's eye back and forth, back and forth. Another command produced a tiny scraper and vial that extended out to take DNA samples from the body's bare arm. "This was designed for very small creatures, or very dangerous ones. It will secure the samples without any human contamination and keep them secure until I can get back to the lab. Have you ever seen anything like this creature before?"

"No," Aiden said, fascinated despite himself as the little machine did its work. "That's why I brought you here. It's almost human. Definitely not Wraith."

"It could very well be human, or a species of human." Moira's mind was racing as she stared at the creature in front of her. Mud covered most of it but she could discern a humanoid body and gray skin. It wore clothing and curious armor. There was some kind of implant on its bald head and over one eye. "Did you kill it?"

"No. The Wraith did…they couldn't feed on it so they killed it but it took three of them. Then they came after us and we finished them off, but this…it can't be human!"

"We're in another galaxy, remember?" she stated. Carefully she scooted closer, stretching the machine over the creature's face to extract a cheek swab. Her hands shook slightly but she was certain the creature was dead. "You killed the Wraith for their enzyme?"

"Yeah. Our synthesized stuff isn't as good anymore. Hey, how did you know that?"

"I read your file."

"I have a file? Cool!"

Moira sat back and the machine stored the tissue samples. It snapped shut. She slid the machine into her backpack, and stared at the creature. It was large, bulkier and taller even than Ronon. The head was bald, revealing a large skull with a somewhat protruding brow line. Curious markings were on the skull and the breast plate of the armor it wore, insignia of some kind. "This mechanical part…my guess is that it's a neural implant of some sort, for heightened senses or for communication or both. Do you think you could remove it? It may store data."

Silence. Whispers of rain slithered on the wind. Moira felt a shiver and turned on her knees, only to be backhanded by Aiden. She cried out, falling onto the creature. To her horror she thought she felt it move beneath her. She scrambled but was violently hauled to her feet.

"Shut up! Move!" Aiden was furious. He had let his guard slip, just for a moment and now he knew they were no longer alone. He could feel unseen eyes on him. He forcibly dragged Moira away from the creature, heading for higher ground.

"No! Let go of me!" Moira had managed to grab her backpack and swung it towards Aiden but the blow didn't even slow him down. "I thought you wanted my help! Let go of me!"

Aiden swore, whirling and placing the muzzle of a handgun to her temple. "Come out, sir. I know you are there. Sheppard. Sheppard!"

John silently cursed and stepped out of the hollow where he had been crouched, biding his time and lining up his shot. He raised his arms, holding the P90 over his head and approached slowly. He stared, feeling a surge of anger seeing Moira bruised and battered and bleeding. "Ford. Let her go. I'm here now."

"I knew you'd show up, sir. But only you. Tell the rest to go."

"You know I can't do that, lieutenant. They have to hold the 'Gate for us. Let her go and we can talk, just the two of us. Then we can all go back to Atlantis."

"Atlantis?" He spit. "Atlantis abandoned us! Atlantis abandoned me!"

"We left to protect Earth from the Wraith. And you could have come back to us at any time," John reasoned, gaze locked on Aiden and the gun at Moira's temple. He slowly neared, step by step, the mud squelching under his boots, P90 still held up in the air. Rain sluiced down his arms and he blinked it out of his eyes. "Now put down the gun and let's talk. We don't harm our own now do we? I just gave you a direct order, lieutenant. Let Doctor O'Meara go and we can talk."

"No! You just want to imprison me, or abandon me on some other planet! No, sir! I lead a team now, just like you! A team much better than yours!"

"Your team is dead, Aiden. Put down the gun and come back to mine."

"You…you killed…"

"We don't harm our own and I won't tolerate those who do," John said sternly to Aiden's genuine shock. Abruptly he lowered the gun, flipped it, aimed it and held it steadily. It was so fast that Moira barely had time to react and Aiden barely had time to protest. "It's your call."

Aiden snorted. His grip tightened on Moira's arm and he pressed the gun's muzzle to her skin. "You wouldn't risk a shot."

"I'm not aiming at her."

Aiden gulped, recalling the last time John had uttered those words. John had somehow shot past Elizabeth Weir to hit Kolya and send him through the Stargate. The military commander appeared just as determined now, even more so as he squarely had his target in his sights and was not going to back down.

Moira squirmed but the pressure of the gun and Aiden's grip stopped her. "Look, we're all from Atlantis, right? We should all be on the same side, right? We need to help each other against the Wraith and this new alien," she tried to reason, but both men ignored her, locked in a battle of wills and resentment.

"You abandoned me, sir. You…you left me out here to fend for myself!"

"That was your choice, lieutenant. I am sorry I couldn't save you back then, but I can save you now. All you have to do is put down the gun and let her go." John sounded sincere. A guilty sorrow filled his eyes, but his gaze never wavered and his aim never shifted.

Aiden suddenly laughed. It was a quiet but maniacal sound. "She'll be dead before me."

"Then you'll be next." John's finger stroked the trigger. "It doesn't have to be this way, Ford."

"I'm afraid it does, Sheppard."

Time seemed to stop, then slow as the two weapons were fired almost simultaneously. Moira heard the click and closed her eyes, but was abruptly jerked sideways and a pain blossomed in her foot. She opened her eyes to see John standing, preparing to take another shot as Aiden was falling. Blood was spurting from his shoulder and had forced his arm to jump, his gun to lower and shoot Moira's foot instead of her head.

Moira staggered and fell to her knees as Aiden leapt to his feet. But John was there first, firing his weapon and rushing ahead to knock Aiden aside, away from Moira. Abruptly the two men grappled and the P90 was dropped into the mud. Moira scrambled on her hands and knees to grab the P90 as John was violently flung to the ground.

"See? See? You can't beat me, sir! I'm stronger now! Stronger, younger, faster, smarter and hey!" He looked down as blood spurted on his leg, as a pain flared like a bee sting. He looked up to see Moira awkwardly trying to stand from the recoil of the P90 she had just fired. Aiden laughed and stepped to her. He grabbed the gun out of her hands, tossed it aside. "Stupid bitch!" He slapped her across the face then slid his fingers around her throat, hauling her up onto her knees. "Stupid scientist! You think you can make a difference? You think he'd even notice you? You think he'd even choose you over me? You are nothing! You are not important at all, not like me! You are nothing, a shadow, a mouse, a little thing in a corner that no one ever notices and no one ever sees and no one ever gives a shit about and you are a—"

Moira was gasping, prying at his fingers as they dug into her skin, into her throat and cut off her air supply. The world was blurring into a gray and black fog, his words were infiltrating her mind and cutting her down as surely as the pressure on her throat was strangling her.

Until that pressure lessened.

Aiden halted in mid-rant, looking over in surprise. He was about to speak, but the blood pouring from the side of his head filled his eyes. He turned an accusatory look on Sheppard before the back of his skull exploded and he fell backwards, backwards, dead into the mud.

Moira gasped and fell, catching herself with her hands as she took in great gulps of cold, wet air, filling her lungs. She looked over to see the military commander. John was on his knees, gun still trained on the fallen man. There was a grim expression on his handsome face, and blood was trickling out of the corner of his mouth.

John slowly moved to his feet. He spat blood out of his mouth. He wiped his lips with the back of his hand. He walked over to the body of his former lieutenant and just stood there, gun still trained on him just in case. It was starting to rain now. The heavy drops did little to wash the blood and filth off his clothes and skin. Rivulets streamed along his long, lean body, plastering his black clothes to him, plastering his hair to his head. He slowly lowered the 9mm but retained a firm grip on it.

John stood over the body, towering above her. A flash of lightning cast him in light, then shadow, a stark study of a primal male after the kill. Or so Moira thought as she stared, riveted. She staggered to her feet, wincing at the pain and adjusting the backpack onto her shoulder. She limped to John. "Colonel? Colonel Sheppard, we need to go. Colonel Sheppard?" She gingerly touched his arm as heart raced, raced.

He seemed made of marble, a statue clad in black, staring down at his former lieutenant. Raindrops glinted on his long eyelashes and ran along his sideburns, along his scruffy jaw, then down his long neck. Water shone on his full, perfect lips and he licked them, a quick motion of his tongue that hypnotized Moira. Until her foot burned with pain and she faltered, nearly falling and shivering as the rain soaked her and she felt she was sinking into the mud. "Colonel Sh-sh-sheppard?" she stammered. "John? John!" Her gentle touch turned into a shove.

John blinked, eyed her. His green eyes were full of anger, pain and guilt. Like a man surfacing from a dark pool of inner darkness he stared at her. He lifted his empty hand towards her and Moira winced, as if expecting to be struck. But his touch was gentle as his fingers played along her bruised, cut cheek and lip. "Moira." His voice was low, raw and almost proprietary.

Moira shivered but not from the cold. She swallowed. "John, we have to get out of here. Please."

He nodded, withdrawing his hand as his gaze roved over her. Her clothes were plastered to her body, like a second skin revealing every curve and swell under the mud and blood. Her soft voice calmed him. He looked at Aiden again then moved to grab his P90. He slid the 9mm into his thigh holster. He stopped. He turned to her. "What did he want to show you?"

"What? Oh, an, an alien. He wanted me to identify it."

"Show me."

"There's no need. I have film of it plus some DNA samples for analysis."

"Show me," he repeated in a quiet, firm voice.

She sighed, nodded. "This way." She took his hand, her fingers lacing with his and led him around Aiden towards an even muddier area in a little clearing away from the trees.

John was watching her limp. He was watching the motion of her muscles under her sodden clothes. "Your foot. He shot it," he said. He felt surreal, as if he had been in some drugged nightmare and only now was coming back to himself. But the feel of her fingers in his was real enough. Warm. Solid.

"Yes. I'm fine. Here…the…" Moira froze.

John came up behind her, stepped next to her.

The clearing was empty.


End file.
